The SC-appointed panel further informed the apex court that “prima facie it seems that ex-CBI Director Ranjit Sinha did try to influence probe in coal scam”.
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Rohtagi, who only had received an initial report of the panel for perusal on condition of maintaining its confidentiality, said that he had gone through the report which has found that the visitors’ diary at Sinha’s residence was genuine.
Allegations of misdemeanor exploded against the former chief investigator just as he was retiring two years ago, after senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan submitted in court a diary of visitors to Mr Sinha’s home. He did not favour asking the CBI to investigate the matter as it would relate to the matters investigated by it.
“There is not a single case where I (Sinha) have taken a decision contrary to the investigating officers in closing coal cases”, Singh said.
“Then let us close down the Supreme Court saying no one wants to take responsibility”, the judges snapped. Last time you had said that you will do it by June 30.
Suggesting to the bench that the Sharma report may be sent to CVC, he said that it can’t go to CBI as the agency is the same.
“The report is not conclusive but it does indicate that Sinha met some people who are now accused in the coal scam”, Rohatgi said.
In the latest proceeding on Tuesday, Bhushan wanted a special investigation team to go into Sinha’s conduct and filing of FIR against him.
“This court must set up some kind of SIT”.
The coal scam had sprung into headlines after the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on coal block allocation estimated a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer owing to irregular allocations.
At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the “report does make some derogatory remarks about former CBI Chief (Ranjit Sinha)”.
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In 2015, the NGO Common Cause alleged that entries in the visitors’ register of Sinha disclosed that “he was meeting the high-profile accused and those associated with coal block allocation to influence the probe”.
